Air Guard pilot pay question

[hindsight2020]

Hi folks:

I know the topic has been beaten to death, did a search, got the numbers off of DFAS, figured out the 1/30th factorization of base pay, added the flight pay fraction, etc etc...still a bit fuzzy on the way they count the UTA pay periods and the other accountables but I think I got most of it down....

The majority of the other information I came across was the big "it depends". So far I got an ANG estimate (for fresh 2LT) of $8800 a year with the bare minimum UTA and FTP's and the weeks of annual training. It is clear that Guard pilots fly/work more than that a month to stay current etc..... but the big grey one is "how much more?" do they?

Clearly, nobody could possibly be successfully "Guard bumming" off of $733/mo so I'm just trying to figure out how much more are folks flying to get to the "decent cash" (sans the AGR/ART positions I got that scenario down) everybody keeps talking about. I'm aware it is a part-time pursuit, but my numbers just don't add up.

How do the numbers break down? Work 10 days a month? 15 days a month?
What's a nominal monthly paycheck from say a heavy unit?... not being deployed of course.

How does the civilian employer handle being "out of the office" half the month? (if in fact that is how it's done)? Any month-to-month scenarios from you guys would be appreciated. I'm just trying to put some context to the Guard pilot life once UPT and seasoning is over, past the DFAS charts that give me no useful context to a "real" month in a Guard flying gig.

Thanks folks!

 

[dtfl]

ooook.
This isn't easy to explain - but here goes.
You get 12 Unit Training Assemblies - or "drills" which are 4 pay periods each.
Your get 48 Training Periods a year - or "Teeps" which are INACTIVE duty periods you can use for flying related duties. You get use these as FLYING TPs or GROUND TPs( Those are limited and can be used when you MX CNX, WX CNX or when you take STAN EVAL tests, do systems ref, etc)
A pay period or TP period is a min of 4 hours. Most units consider it 4 hours. When you fly you usually burn a "double" TP.
You also get 15 days of active duty called annual tour.
So - take 1/30th of your base pay, add 1/30th of your flight pay - that is a TP or UTA period. For each UTA you get 4 - mult that by 12. Take a pay period times 48 and there are your TPs.
Add 1/30s of TYPE II BAS and subsistence to the pay period and mult by 15 - there are your Annual Tour Days. That is all you are guaranteed.

Now......That being said..anytime you fly an AMC trip or deploy to the sandbox or go to an airshow or fly a medevac, etc...etc..you are on a "man day" which is an active duty day, funded by active duty....these days there are plenty of them.

For example - while furloughed I work 2 weeks a month at a base in my former command - and then fly and do my drill the other 2 weeks at my unit in AMC. I make AD Capts pay after tax. Not bad.....the GWOT is funding lot sof reservists...

Now as a 2lt you need to wh&re yourself out. It will be hard to get man days as a planner, etc since you are only a 2lt. Once you are a 1lt and Capt things pick up.

Also - in the reserves you get a PROG TOUR - up to 120 days active duty once you get to your unit for an indoc. So ask about that.

It's tough as a 2lt....go to the unit and see how busy they are...

There is no typical flying, really. The drill is usually the first weekend of the month. The 2nd or 3rd is TAC flying in some units. Other than that - you fly when you want/can. Our unit doesn't fly on Mon or Fri nights..so it's Tue- Fri afternoon if you want to fly. Or take a RAS (Reserve airlift shuttle) or a trip.

hope this helps.

 

[stonewall]

That's an excellent summary. You don't say what unit you're looking at, but if you go with a fighter unit you'll have to fly 2x/day to get the double AFTP. It actually kinda sucks, since flying 2x/day with brief/debrief means about a 10-11 hr day, even in the Guard.

There is a need to keep good track of what you're doing. I prefer to burn the AFTPs (2/day) and UTAs because I get paid 2 days for one day of work (2 four hour periods). After taxes, it comes out to around $250/day for a Capt on fly pay. However, if you're working a ton (like I try to) you can burn through those in a quarter and will need the man-days. If I'm going to be at the Guard longer than about 10 days straight (rare with the airline gig), I ask for man-days. It can be confusing, but ask all the older guys at your unit. You'll find some greedy airline capt who knows how to maximize the $$$. (nobody freak, that's tongue in cheek...I like most airline capts).

 

[pkober]

What you need to do after UPT is find a nitch job at the unit. Work in StanEval, tactics, plans, etc. There is plenty of work available, especially in the heavy world.

Also, you can pull tours with other units when they deploy. These are called "rainbow" tours. They may be short a scheduler, for instance, and will take someone from another unit.

If you don't want to deploy than your options become limited.

As stated earlier, the GWOT has provided plenty of opportunities at the MAJCOM level for "short" tours. Usually >45 days. Those are title 10 active duty days that proivide full medical during the tour and then for 180 days after the tour. Not a bad gig, and once you get you foot in the door you can find plenty of work. These jobs are available to guys getting ready for UPT. We just had a 2LT do a one year tour with the MAJCOM while waiting for UPT.


Either way, I think you will be able to put plenty of food on the table.

One Guard Baby's view.

CLAMBAKE

 

[psysicx]

You can make decent money bumming.I know guys on 135's making over $40,000 as LT's.Plus you get to make your schedule.

 

[hindsight2020]

Thanks a ton! That was exactly the kind of intel I was looking to get, much appreciated. As for the unit selection, right now I'm highly inclined towards Guard Herc units (or Reserves depending on how the year turns up) but haven't closed the window to fighters.

I'm going to print out this thread and keep it for reference, I think I haven't had as straightforward an elaboration of the Guard pay system as dtfl gave. I totally agree that getting a nitch job within the unit, plus volunteering trips here and there would certainly raise the pay from the bare-bone UTA/TP/Annual tour guarantee. I figure I'll use the first year to get acclimated with the schedule and once that is established, venture out and find civilian employers that would be friendly to the Guard thing.

Once again, excellent posts folks, my head-scratching hours are over regarding that one...I'm sure there will be more along the way